Construction and extensive characterization of a goat bacterial artificial chromosome library with threefold genome coverage.

A goat Bacterial Artificial Chromosome (BAC) library of 61,440 independent clones was constructed and characterized. The average size of the inserts was estimated at 153 kilobases by analyzing almost 500 clones using Not1 digestion followed by FIGE (Field Inverted Gel Electrophoresis) analysis. The library represents about three genome equivalents, which yields a theoretical probability of 0.95 of isolating a particular DNA sequence. After individual growth, the clones were arrayed in 40 superpools, which were organized in three dimension pools. A rapid technique for pool DNA preparation by microwave treatment was set up. This technique was compatible with PCR analysis. Primer pairs from 166 sequences (microsatellites, coding sequences from goat, and conserved Expressed Sequence Tags (ESTs) from humans) enabled the library to be successfully searched in 165 cases, with an average of 3.52 positive superpools. Only one sequence could not be found. The degree of chimerism was evaluated by FISH analysis with DNA from over 110 clones and was estimated at 4%. This BAC library will constitute an invaluable tool for positional cloning in ruminants, as well as for more general comparative mapping studies in mammals.

"In vitro" study of basement membrane degradation by the cysteine proteinases, cathepsins B, B-like and L. Digestion of collagen IV, laminin, fibronectin, and release of gelatinase activities from basement membrane fibronectin.

We have studied the soluble fragments obtained from bovine lens capsules after digestion by the cysteine proteinases cathepsins B, B-like and L. These proteinases liberated collagen IV, laminin and fibronectin fragments, as shown by immunoblotting. Sodium dodecyl sulfate treatment of digested capsules gave a soluble material used for subsequent fractionation and immunochemical study. Comparison of both results demonstrate the ability of these cathepsins to degrade a basement membrane at near neutral pH values. The differences observed in the size and the number of fragments suggest that the three proteinases exhibit similar specificities in basement membrane digestion, as shown previously. Nevertheless, cathepsin L seems to be more effective than cathepsins B and B-like. From this study, cysteine proteinases could be associated to basement membrane destruction. Soluble cysteine proteinase digests of bovine lens capsules showed several bands of gelatinolytic activity by gelatin zymography. Three major bands of 77, 60 and 45 kDa were seen whatever the cysteine proteinase used. These bands were identified as fibronectin fragments. Thus cysteine proteinases can activate the latent proteinase fibronectin from basement membrane leading to a new "metastatic cascade". This would be an important factor in the "in vivo" basement membrane dissolution observed during tumor invasion.

In vitro activation of pro-cathepsin B by three serine proteinases: leucocyte elastase, cathepsin G, and the urokinase-type plasminogen activator.

In vitro activation of pro-cathepsin B purified from ascitic fluid of ovarian carcinomas by serine proteinases was studied. Both elastase and cathepsin G from human leucocytes were found to be activators, on the basis of generation of cathepsin B activity and processing of the precursor. These results represent a new cooperative pathway between cancer cells and host cells. The urokinase-type plasminogen activator activated pro-cathepsin B faster than leucocyte proteinases. A new relationship is emerging between the cysteine proteinases and the plasmin-activation system. Both pathways suggest an important role of cathepsin B in the proteolytic cascade associated with tumour invasion.

[Quantitative binding of cysteine-proteinases to a basement membrane: role in their digestion during tumor invasion]. / Fixatíon quantitative des cystéine-protéinases sur une membrane basale: étape-clé de sa digestion au cours de l'invasion tumorale.

Binding of cysteine-proteinases of the papain-superfamily (papain and cathepsins B, B-like and L) to basement membranes was studied by using the enzymatic activity of these proteinases against their specific fluorogenic substrates. The basement membrane used for these experiments is the bovine lens capsule (weight approximately 50 mg). Papain inactivated by E64 was used in competition experiments, that made it possible to obtain the equilibrium constant, Kd and the number of substrate sites per capsule, n. Values were found around 10(-7) M for Kd, and in the 10(12) range for n. Such results would be of significant interest for the understanding of the biological role of cysteine-proteinases in tumour invasion and other types of tissue remodeling.

Quantitative study of the binding of cysteine proteinases to basement membranes.

Binding of cysteine proteinases of the papain superfamily (papain and cathepsins B, B-like and L) to basement membranes was studied by using the enzymatic activity of these proteinases against their specific fluorogenic substrates. Papain inactivated by E64 was used for Kd determination by competition experiments. The binding was characterized using the following parameters, the equilibrium constant, Kd, and the number of substrate sites, n, values of which were in the range of 10(-7) M and 10(12), respectively. Such results would be of significant interest for the understanding of the biological role of cysteine proteinases in tumour invasion and other types of tissue remodeling.

High-performance liquid chromatographic method for the simultaneous purification of cathepsins B, H and L from human liver.

A high-performance liquid chromatographic procedure for the isolation of the three cysteine proteinases, namely cathepsins B, H and L, is described. The method is based on the following four steps. (1) A classical AcA 44 gel permeation separation with a 30-70% ammonium sulphate fraction from the human liver homogenate is used to remove the non-enzymic high-molecular-mass components. (2) Preparative cation-exchange chromatography on a CM-SW TSK column can separate the three proteinases. (3) An anion-exchange step on a semi-preparative DEAE-SW TSK column for the cathepsin H fraction is used to remove a small amount of cathepsins B and L activities. (4) The three separated enzymes are purified on an analytical TSK gel 2000 SW column. The purity of each enzyme is assessed by sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and electrofocusing on polyacrylamide gels. To check the activities of the purified proteinases, the kinetic constants [Michaelis constant (KM) and catalytic constant (Kcat)] and the ratio Kcat/KM against the fluorigenic substrates Arg-NH-Mec, Z-Arg-Arg-NH-Mec and Z-Phe-Arg-NH-Mec after active-site titration using E-64, were determined. Z-Phe-Phe-CNH2 was also used as a specific inhibitor of cathepsin L. This method requires only 6 g of human liver, and gives a high yield of the three lysosomal cysteine-proteinases: thus, about 150 micrograms of cathepsin B and 50 micrograms each of cathepsins L and H are obtained in a single run.

[Digestion in vitro of basal membrane, bovine lens capsule, by human liver lysosome cathepsins B, H and L and ascitic fluid tumor cathepsin B from ovarian adenocarcinoma]. / Digestion in vitro d'une membrane basale, la capsule de cristallin de boeuf, par les cathepsines B, H et L du lysosome de foie humain et la cathepsine B tumorale du liquide d'ascite d'adénocarcinome ovarien.

Lysosomal cysteine proteinases, cathepsins B, H and L, and tumor cathepsin-B-like protease, are capable of digesting bovine lens capsule, a typical basement membrane, in vitro. Cathepsins L and H proved most active in the pH range 5.0-7.0, whereas cathepsin B and cathepsin B-like protease showed greatest activity at pH 3.0. The process was slow and involved binding of the proteases to the basement membrane. These proteases, of which some are produced by malignant cells, may contribute to tumor spread and progression to metastatic disease.

"In vitro" digestion of intact bovine lens capsules by four human lysosomal cysteine-proteinases.

We have examined the biochemical degradation of an isolated basement membrane matrix (bovine lens capsule) by human liver cathepsins B, H and L and the cathepsin B-like proteinase from malignant ascitic fluid. This study was carried out using two different methods: The first strategy was to follow the liberation of soluble proteins and peptides as a function of time at different pHs. Then the digestion products were characterized, as collagen IV, fibronectin and laminin fragments, using monospecific polyclonal antibodies and a quantitative dot-blot analysis. From these results, the ability of the four proteinases to digest "in vitro" intact bovine lens capsule in the physiological pH range is demonstrated. Cathepsin L is the most powerful against the three membrane components studied. As shown by electroelution and immunochemical quantitation, the digestion would be a consequence of proteinases binding to the capsule. With intact basement membrane as a substrate a "in vitro" molecular analysis of this digestion process was possible by these methods. On this basis, the "in vivo" secretion of cysteine proteinases during malignancy would be related to the local basement membrane dissolution associated with tumor invasion.